On Tuesday afternoon, Todd Richards, who joined the Wild from last years Presidents winning San Jose Sharks, met with the media at the Xcel Energy Center. Among the topics that were addressed was #10 Marian Gaborik. Gaborik is currently not signed by the Wild. In the past, he has been prone to injuries. The Wild are hopeful with the hiring of Richards that he will entice Gaborik to be back in a Wild uniform. Another common theme at the press conference was trust.
Richards stated that the Wild players would have to earn his trust and he would have to earn theirs. When asked about what brand of hockey the fans would see, Richards said that you would see an up- tempo style similar to San Jose, Detroit, or Pittsburgh. Wild General Manager Chuck Fletcher stated that there were several candidates to replace former Head Coach Jacques Lemaire. Fletcher and Richards had several opportunities to speak to each other before the hiring. Fletcher also stated that the Wild’s assistant coaching position has several candidates within and outside the organization, but he hasn’t tapped anyone yet.
